Genetic parameters for milk yield in Saanen and Alpina breed goats

Abstract

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for 305 days milk yield (M305) in Saanen and Alpina breed goats. Data consisted of records from first to second lactations of goats belonging to herds participating in the program control productive and reproductive goats (PROCAPRI) from UNESP-FCAV-Jaboticabal-SP. The M305 was analyzed by repeatability and bi-trait models. The influence of fixed effects on the traits was analyzed preliminary analysis by the method of least squares. Variance components were estimated by restricted maximum likelihood method (REML), using the package Wombat. The duration of lactation, age of dam at calving, the herd, calving year and season of birth were important sources of variation for the M305. There was no significant difference between the breeds. Heritability and repeatability estimates obtained by repeatability model were 0.29 and 0.36, respectively. The repeatability estimate was 0.32. The heritability estimates obtained by the bi-trait models were similar and repeatability. Thus, a repeatability model might be indicated for its simplicity.